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It’s a case of not enough cooks – because there is a chef shortage in Plymouth.

City restaurants are desperately trying to fill vacancies, with jobs for front of house and waiting staff needing to be filled too.

With a boom in establishments selling food in Plymouth, and staff leaving the profession for less taxing work at a time of high employment, it means lots of restaurants, hotels and pubs are looking for workers.

Paul Paskins, employment adviser at Plymouth Jobcentre, said: “There are a significant number of jobs in hospitality.”

The Royal Navy is recruiting chefs (Image: MoD)

He found 28 vacancies in the Plymouth area “without really trying”. They included:

A head chef at the Crowne Plaza’s Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill

A head chef at Jury’s Inn, Exeter Street

A chef at the Jack Rabbit, Derriford

A chef de partie at Kuku Plymouth Sushi and Robata Grill, Princess Street

Plus the Army’s Catering Support Regiment, and the Royal Navy and RAF are in need of chefs and are recruiting in Plymouth.

“There is a shortage of chefs and at this time of the year the hospitality establishments want to recruit,” said Mr Paskins. “And especially if we have a good spring, when there is a feel-good factor.”

Paul Paskins, of Plymouth Jobcentre (Image: William Telford)

Jobcentre Plus is running a sector based work academy from March 5 to 21 in tourism and hospitality, called Cooking Up A Storm, at City College Plymouth, to train up potential recruits.

Plymouth has been gripped by a chef shortage before, with spikes in 1999 and 2015, when there was expansion in the number of restaurants.

But experienced chefs often leave the industry at times of high employment, due to the hard graft and unsocial hours involved.

Gone - restaurants and cafes that closed in 2018

“People in cheffing who want to earn the top salaries have to go into the top restaurants and that means moving away from the area,” Mr Paskins added. “Others leave the sector – it’s extremely hard work and seasonal.”

Mr Paskins said there are also jobs in retail and care that need filling and Jobcentre Plus is also running a sector based work academy for the security industry between March 4 and 12, at the Devonport JobCentre.

South West restaurants with AA Rosettes

Four Rosettes:

Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, Padstow

Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Port Isaac

Driftwood Restaurant, Porthscatho

Three Rosettes:

The Coach House by Michael Caines, Barnstaple

Gidleigh Park, Chagford

Thomas Carr at The Olive Room, Ilfracombe

Hell Bay, Isles of Scilly

Great Western Restaurant at Bovey Castle, Moretonhampstead

The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow

The Gallery Restaurant at Boringdon Hall Hotel, Plymouth (pictured)

Kota Restaurant with Rooms, Porthleven

The Elephant, Torquay

Hotel Tresanton Dining Room, Truro

Two Rosettes:

The Lugger, Truro

The Treby Arms, Plymouth

Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen, Port Isaac

The Seahorse Restaurant, Dartmouth

The Mason’s Arms, Knowstone

One Rosette:

Kitley House Hotel, Plymouth

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